First recorded around 1400–50.
Comes from the late Middle English word ferdkyn or firdekyn.
This is formed from a variant of ferthe, meaning \"fourth,\" and the diminutive suffix -kin.
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF FIRKIN\r\n

The antique store had a collection of quaint firkins on display, each with its own unique design.
After the harvest festival, the townspeople gathered around to share stories over slices of bread from a firkin of butter.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Today’s the last day to submit!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/F01/F0166000.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"noun","data":"a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/firkin_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"u7FIGsnaTRV4YaGdYerqs","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"loth","entry":"loth"},{"slug":"lothair-i","entry":"Lothair I"},{"slug":"lothair-ii","entry":"Lothair II"},{"slug":"lothario","entry":"Lothario"},{"slug":"lothian","entry":"Lothian"}],"after":[{"slug":"lothians","entry":"Lothians"},{"slug":"lothly","entry":"lothly"},{"slug":"lothringen","entry":"Lothringen"},{"slug":"loti","entry":"loti"},{"slug":"lotic","entry":"lotic"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"lothian-region"},"requestId":"Xa6UjDfuGYnR_iS2uyPkK","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"lothian-region"},"requestId":"0Hx4JEid2by6XJlqpnSdT","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"CollinsEntry","headword":{"displayForm":"Lothian Region","slug":"lothian-region"},"homonym":null,"note":null,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechGroups":[{"definitions":[{"crossReferencesConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"defgrp\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"a former local government region in SE central Scotland, formed in 1975 from East Lothian, most of Midlothian, and West Lothian; replaced in 1996 by the council areas of East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, and Edinburgh\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"idiom":null,"ordinal":1,"sense":null,"subdefinitions":[]}],"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciations":[{"ipa":"ˈləʊðɪən"}],"subEntry":[]}],"url":"lothian-region"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"lothian-region"},"requestId":"xxfCSsaJ3hY4vltnq-D1R","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"lothian-region","displayForm":"Lothian Region","canonicalSlug":"lothian-region","content":[{"source":"collins","entries":[{"id":"ad018d56b.6bfb.1014.b87b.c2803370a23a.1","type":"normal","entry":"Lothian Region","entrySyllabified":null,"entryVariants":"","homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"audio":null,"spell":null,"ipa":"(ˈləʊðɪən)"},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":"","definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","definition":"a former local government region in SE central Scotland, formed in 1975 from East Lothian, most of Midlothian, and West Lothian; replaced in 1996 by the council areas of East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, and Edinburgh","postdefinitionContent":""}]}],"origin":"","supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"derivedForms":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":91997,"index-rank-01":["lothian region"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"lothian-region"},"requestId":"6_zbrvJA4vGTr2pgctBQa","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Lothian","Lothians","loathing","lithia","Laotian","lathing","Othin","lohan"],"tuna":["loathing","lathing","lotion","clothing","loan","loin","thin","lithic","lotting","nothing","within","let in","lethal","log in","lookin","no thing","lock in","look in","look-in","love-in"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Lothian","slug":"lothian"},{"displayForm":"Lothians","slug":"lothians"},{"displayForm":"loathing","slug":"loathing"},{"displayForm":"lithia","slug":"lithia"},{"displayForm":"Laotian","slug":"laotian"},{"displayForm":"lathing","slug":"lathing"},{"displayForm":"Othin","slug":"othin"},{"displayForm":"lohan","slug":"lohan"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"loathing","slug":"loathing"},{"displayForm":"lathing","slug":"lathing"},{"displayForm":"lotion","slug":"lotion"},{"displayForm":"clothing","slug":"clothing"},{"displayForm":"loan","slug":"loan"},{"displayForm":"loin","slug":"loin"},{"displayForm":"thin","slug":"thin"},{"displayForm":"lithic","slug":"lithic"},{"displayForm":"lotting","slug":"lotting"},{"displayForm":"nothing","slug":"nothing"},{"displayForm":"within","slug":"within"},{"displayForm":"let in","slug":"let%20in"},{"displayForm":"lethal","slug":"lethal"},{"displayForm":"log in","slug":"log%20in"},{"displayForm":"lookin","slug":"lookin"},{"displayForm":"no thing","slug":"no%20thing"},{"displayForm":"lock in","slug":"lock%20in"},{"displayForm":"look in","slug":"look%20in"},{"displayForm":"look-in","slug":"look-in"},{"displayForm":"love-in","slug":"love-in"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"lothian-region"},"requestId":"yfFulqaCiEqfr0C5mp7DI","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Lothian Region

noun

Word of the Day